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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574706">a quiet place to be</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/esthernn/pseuds/esthernn'>esthernn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sokka finds out about Zuko's scar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:14:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,061</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/esthernn/pseuds/esthernn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka and Zuko are tasked with cooking dinner, and Sokka is very afraid of fire.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>446</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a quiet place to be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Zuko’s on fire duty.” Katara looked more exhausted than usual, her voice stern, but cracking around the edges. Sokka had to fight back the instinct to tell her to relax for a second, to go to sleep, Katara, the campsite won’t burn down overnight.</p><p>Across from him, Zuko looked bored. Sokka wasn’t quite sure if that was his actually bored face or if it was his yes-Katara-please-don’t-kill-me face, but his hands were shaking in his lap regardless. The upcoming battle was starting to take its toll on all of them.</p><p>“You’re an actual firebender, Zuko, it can’t be that hard,” said Toph, already curling up in her rock-tent.</p><p>Zuko did not look any more enthused.</p><p>Sokka was getting fidgety just watching him. The sky was darkening, and frankly, he didn’t want Zuko going out alone. It had been raining on and off for days, so heavily that you couldn’t see through the thick curtain of water.</p><p>Toph disappeared under her blankets in the shade of her tent. Katara rubbed her temple.</p><p>“Sokka, go with him to get food. I’ll finish setting up.” </p><p>Sokka smiled up at Zuko, who was already standing. Zuko awkwardly shot him a thumbs-up.</p><p>“Toph? Are you eating?” Katara asked. Toph loudly snored from inside the tent.</p><p>Katara sighed. “Just cook enough for the four of us, then.” Sokka grinned at her in what he hoped was a comforting way. He hated when Katara was grumpy. It wasn’t fun for any of them and probably not much fun for her either.</p><p>He nodded at Zuko and together they headed out into the woods, Zuko to the left, him to the right. As they left, Sokka heard Katara snap at Aang, something about contributing and teamwork. There was fire in her breath that evening, and Sokka was glad to be out of the line of fire. If she was mad at Aang, it was a good thing that him and Zuko were out of there.</p><p>The woods were getting dark, but not too dark to see, and Zuko was silent.</p><p>“So, can we just make a fire anywhere?” Sokka asked. Zuko looked at him like he was an idiot.</p><p>“I think we’d burn down the forest.” </p><p>Sokka felt a little stupid.</p><p>“What food are we making?” asked Zuko. “I think some of these plants might be edible.”</p><p>He kneeled down, yanking up plants by the roots and squinting at them in the darkness. After a few seconds, he stood back up and continued, “These also might be poisonous.”</p><p>“Might?”</p><p>Zuko awkwardly grinned. “All the plants kind of look the same to me.”</p><p>Sokka laughed and Zuko started laughing, too, his hair spilling over his eyes. Even in the growing darkness he was a little beautiful.</p><p>“I think we should stick with fish,” Sokka suggested, and the two ventured deeper into the woods in search of water.</p><p>After a few minutes the sun had completely set, and it was clear that Zuko was getting agitated.</p><p>“We can just take our chances with the plants and head back,” Sokka suggested in an attempt to alleviate his worries. “No cooking required.”</p><p>The shadows were reaching out from beneath the trees, clawing at their feet.</p><p>Zuko shook his head. “No, it’s alright.” Sokka paused for a moment and patted Zuko’s shoulder.</p><p>They kept walking. The trees were getting taller, arching over them like lost spirits. Zuko was constantly looking over his shoulder as if he were being followed. Eventually he took a deep breath.</p><p>“I don’t like not being able to see,” he confessed quietly. Sokka squinted at him in the darkness. He could make out the outlines of the trees in the moonlight, and was close enough to Zuko to see his expression. Their shoulders were practically pressed together.</p><p>For the first time, it occurred to Sokka that Zuko might not be able to see well out of his burned eye. He’s to his left, always to his left.</p><p>Sokka hated fire, he hated it since he was little, but he liked Zuko more, so he said, “You can light a fire, if you want. It’s okay.”</p><p>Zuko looked at him, a little concerned, but he nodded. “If you’re sure.”</p><p>He opened his palm, and fire appeared, vibrant and golden. It was beautiful, in its own way, but Sokka couldn’t help but recoil.</p><p>Zuko looked worried. “I can put it ou-”</p><p>“No! No, it’s fine.”</p><p>They walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes. Despite the fire, Sokka didn’t want to stray too far from Zuko, being sure to stay near him as they walked.</p><p>Zuko looked calmer with the fire in his hand, however small. Sokka assumed he could see a lot better with it, and he thought it gave him some sense of control, too. He tried to steady his breath as he walked. He didn’t want Zuko to worry, and he certainly didn’t want him to feel bad about the fire. It was helping him.</p><p>Eventually they arrived at a shady clearing, filled with stones and leaves and twigs. A deep stream weaved through it, and in the light of the fire, Sokka could spot some decently sized fish swimming up and down.</p><p>“This’ll work,” said Zuko, who proceeded to direct Sokka to gather up rocks.</p><p>Sokka started gathering up the rocks for the ring. They were just going to start the fire, grill some fish, and head back to camp. Easy.</p><p>Starting the fire did not turn out to be so easy. About ten seconds after Zuko had gathered all of the kindling, it started pouring. </p><p>“Can’t you just dry it off?” asked Sokka.</p><p>“I can try,” responded Zuko quietly, as he gathered up the soaked leaves to bring back under the cover of foliage. </p><p>Sokka watched him from the middle of the clearing, letting the water seep through his clothes, feeling it sink deeper and deeper. Even without the fire, in the far distance, Zuko was glowing. He looked like a spirit, like something Sokka couldn’t get too close to without it dissipating.</p><p>And then Zuko summoned fire back into his palm, and held it close to the leaf. It burned. He tried again and again to dry them off but they kept burning and burning and Sokka felt his breath speed up. All he could see as the leaves fell to ash was his mother's body. He’d only caught a glimpse of her before Hakoda whisked him away, but she was completely charred, black flecks of ash falling away from her body. He couldn’t even make out her face.</p><p>Sokka kept watching Zuko singe the leaves, no matter how hard he tried not to, and quietly shivered. </p><p>Zuko shakes his head and walks back to Sokka through the heavy rain. “This isn’t going to work.”</p><p>Sokka shook his head in agreement, but didn’t say a word. Zuko didn’t call back his fire. Instead, he gently led Sokka down the stream, to a stretch with a thick coverage of leaves.</p><p>“Do you think you can find some fish?” Zuko asked quietly, and Sokka grinned at him. He was calmer now with the fire gone, and this he knew he could do. </p><p>Zuko scrounged up more rocks from the bank and rebuilt the firebed. Sokka caught the first fish. It was small, but they were used to minimal meals. Zuko finished building his nest of kindling and small structure of twigs, and looked up at Sokka, questioning. Sokka gave a small, if hesitant smile, and nodded. As carefully as he could, Zuko dripped out fire from his fingertips, starting the fire.</p><p>Sokka felt his muscles tighten, but they quickly relaxed. The fire was effortlessly beautiful. And it was comforting. It didn’t smell like ash, but like quiet nights around the campfire. And it looked like Zuko. it looked like his eyes, when they sharpened with focus. It looked like his fluid movements as he firebended. Sokka had always envied Katara, but he admired Zuko.</p><p>Sokka pulled out the second fish, larger than the first. He smirked at Zuko across the fire. “This one is <em>definitely </em>for us.”</p><p>Zuko smirked back. “Just have to cook it first.”</p><p>“Here.” Sokka picked up a long, craggly stick and handed it to Zuko. he moved to sit cross legged in front of him. “Put the fish on.”</p><p>Zuko furrowed his brow. “How?”</p><p>Sokka smirked and stood back up to kneel besides Zuko instead. He took his hands in his own, guiding them into pushing the fish onto the stick. Once they were solid, he guided Zuko’s hands so that he was holding the spit at the appropriate height. Sokka returned to his spot opposite him, and sat back down.</p><p>After a while, Zuko lowered the spit too far to the flames and Sokka had to take the other end in his hands to prop it back up.</p><p>“Don’t get too close,” he warned him. “It’s not time to char yet and we don’t want you getting burned.”</p><p>Zuko shrugged. “The last time I got burned wasn’t so bad.”</p><p>Sokka paused.<em> Is that his attempt at a joke? Seriously?</em></p><p>“Your scar?”</p><p>Zuko nodded. Sokka was almost afraid to ask, but he saw the look in Zuko’s eyes and asked anyway, “What happened?”</p><p>Zuko averted his eyes and took a few breaths. “My father. I said something in a war meeting he didn’t like, and… that was it.”</p><p>Sokka needed a second. His dad? As in his literal father? “Your father did this to you?”</p><p>Zuko nodded. “And then he banished me.”</p><p>
  <em>His father burned his son, and then banished him.</em>
</p><p>“How old were you?”</p><p>“Thirteen.”</p><p>
  <em>And he was thirteen.</em>
</p><p>Sokka couldn’t think clearly. Across from him, Zuko was still sitting up straight, as proud and regal as ever. How is he not still angry? How did he ever stop being furious? His father scarred him and blinded him as a child, how is he not burning down every tree in the forest?</p><p>“Tui and La.” Sokka glares at the fire between them, furiously trying to persuade it to undo all the harm it’s caused. </p><p>Zuko’s staring at the fish, appearing puzzled. “Do I flip it?”</p><p>Sokka blinked. “Sure, but just for a few minutes. Then the char.”</p><p>He couldn’t believe Zuko was so serene. He was calmly cooking the fish, monitoring it carefully.</p><p>“How are you not angry?” Sokka asked.</p><p>“I was.” Zuko bites his lip and lets it go. “I still am. But my Uncle was always there on the other side for when I was ready not to be.”</p><p>“I want to kill him,” Sokka said bluntly. </p><p>Zuko smirked at him and Sokka felt his heart flutter. “Me too.”</p><p>He took a deep breath and met Zuko’s eyes. “Time to char the fish.”</p><p>Zuko’s hair flopped over his eyes as he lowered the fish into the flames. They rose up around the spit, pulling it into an embrace.</p><p>Sokka watched intently for a few seconds, and then--</p><p>“Pull it out!”</p><p>Zuko quickly pulled the spit out of the fire and extinguished it. He looked across at Sokka, his eyes wide and glittering like molten gold. “Are we ready to go?”</p><p>Sokka nodded and stood up, extending a hand to Zuko.</p><p>He took it and pulled himself upright besides Sokka. They started making their way through the darkness.</p><p>The moon was high and the darkness was heavy. The sky was silent as the rain slowed. Sokka could barely make out Zuko’s face.</p><p>“Make a fire. It’s okay,” he whispered, hoping that Zuko understood it really was okay.</p><p>Zuko seemed to understand as much, pulling fire into his palm and holding it in front of them. The fire was quiet as Sokka glanced beside him into Zuko’s eyes. They reflected back the fire in his palm, golden in golden, warmth in warmth. The fire was radiating a calm light, dull but ever present.</p><p>As they walked back in the direction they both hoped was camp, Zuko slipped his hand into Sokka’s. The warmth from Zuko’s body was akin to the warmth from his flame, both beautiful.</p><p>A little lost, still far from camp, Sokka gently pulled Zuko to a stop, his hand in his, and slowly moved in for a kiss. It was warm and beautiful and incredible. </p><p>They were still in the dark, far from camp. Sokka wasn’t worried at all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys!</p><p>I'm not use to writing drabbles like this, but I think I'm pretty okay with how it turned out! Thank you so much for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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